Biography

Multi disciplinary artist Casper Faassen (1975) works and lives in Leiden, The Netherlands where, inspired by the rich painterly history, he developed his love for creation at a young age. 

After some time combining painting with studies and part time jobs, he decided in 2002 to focus solely on his artistic career. 

Characteristic of Faassen’s works is his continuing innovative use of materials, techniques and disciplines. Although Faassen devotes most of his time to the medium of photography, his background as a painter is visible in how his photo works are built up from several semi-transparent layers.

His oeuvre can roughly be divided into three main categories being; landscapes, movement and his ReCollection series in which he collects objects that have been collected before. To include and emphasize time, most of his works are finished with a layer of craquelé.

Faassen’s work has been exhibited at many exhibitions and art fairs around the world like Paris Photo, AIPAD New York and Photo London. He was awarded Talent of the Year in the Dutch national ‘Artist of the Year‘ competition in 2007 and in 2019, Faassen won the ALPA Award at Photo Basel. His work is acquired by both private and public collections. 

In his own words: "The juxtaposition between the eternal and the temporal, beauty and decay, appearing and disappearing is my main theme. All painters and photographers have the ability to freeze time and capture a single moment. I emphasize that moment by adding an element of time – not necessarily by using literal vanitas references but through the handling of materials. The use of craquelure is my symbol for time and introduces a visual element since it is oil paint and thus sharp, contrasting with the rest of the blurry image. Most of the distance is created by the way the picture is taken, through a matte medium. I print the image on to that same matte medium giving a further sense of distance. What I also like about the craquelure is the texture it gives to the surface or skin. The work becomes more material, more substantial, pointing toward painting instead of photography and thus encouraging a different way of perceiving the work. Within this visual language I`ve grown so comfortable with, I love to explore different themes. You could say that the ReCollection series, Movement and Nature have my main focus now."

Exhibitions and projects (selection)

2024

  • Art Rotterdam with Bildhalle gallery

  • Group Show with Lilian Bassman and Rene Groebli at Bildhalle Amsterdam

  • ART PARIS with Ibasho Gallery (FR)

  • ArteFiera Bologna with MC2 gallery

  • MIA photofair in Milan, Italy

  • The Phair, Turin, Italy

  • AIPAD New York with Bildhalle Gallery

  • Art Show Galeriler Bulusmasi, with Martch Art Project, Istanbul Turkye

2023

  • PARIS PHOTO with Bildhalle Gallery and Ibasho Gallery (FR)

  • Solo show VOID at Ibasho Gallery Antwerp (BE)

  • Solo show The Space Between, BILDHALLE, Amsterdam (NL)

  • ART PARIS with Ibasho Gallery (FR)

  • Photo London with Bildhalle (UK)

2022

  • PAN Amsterdam, group show, BILDHALLE, Amsterdam (NL)

  • 20 year celebration exhibiton Hooglandse Kerk, Leiden (NL)

  • Group show, Japanmuseum Sieboldhuis, Leiden (NL)

  • Art Rotterdam, solo show, BILDHALLE, Rotterdam (NL)

  • Art Paris, group show, IBASHO, Paris (FR)

  • “Ocean”, group show, BILDHALLE, Amsterdam (NL)

  • Photo London, group show, BILDHALLE, London (UK)

  • AIPAD, group show, IBASHO, New York City (US)

2021

  • “Levitate”, solo show, BILDHALLE, Zurich (CH)

  • Photo London, group show, BILDHALLE, London (UK)

  • “CHAOS“, dance performance and exhibition, Origen Festival Cultural, Engadine (CH)

  • PAN Amsterdam, group show, BILDHALLE, Amsterdam (NL)

  • UNSEEN, group show, BILDHALLE, Amsterdam (NL)

2020

  • BIG ART, group show, Hem terrein, Amsterdam (NL)

  • “Hover through the fog and filthy air“, film project with Marne van Opstal

  • “Les Marées”, solo show, Project 2.0 Gallery, The Hague (NL)

  • “Finissage“, film project with Irina Renes and Jorge Nozal

2019

  • Solo show, Gallery Dessers, Leuven (BE)

  • Photo Basel, group show, Basel (CH)

  • AIPAD, group show, IBASHO, New York City (US)

  • BIG ART, group show, Hem terrein, Amsterdam (NL)

  • “NUDE NOW”, group show, Museum Hilversum (NL)

  • “The Self”, group show, Marktsteeg, Leiden (NL)

  • PAN Amsterdam, group show, Amsterdam (NL)

  • “Still”, solo show, Amsterdam (NL)

2018

  • “Haute Photographie”, group show, Rotterdam (NL)

  • “Casper Faassen”, solo show, MC2 Gallery, Milan (IT)

  • MIA Photofair, group show, MC2 Gallery, Milan (IT)

  • Salone del Mobile, video work, Studio Piet Boon, Milan (IT)

  • Haute Photographie Stockholm, group show, Fotografiska Museum, Stockholm (SE)

2017

  • “View on The Hague”, ongoing group show, Haags Historisch Museum, The Hague (NL)

  • “Snap!”, group show, Le Salon 2017, Orlando (US)

  • “Chiaroscuro”, solo show, W Hotel, Amsterdam (NL)

  • Photo Basel, group show, Basel (CH)

  • Photofairs Shanghai, group show, Shanghai (CN)

2016

  • “Amsterdam Fleeting Images”, solo show, Amsterdam (NL)

  • “Fleeting Images”, solo show, Japanmuseum Sieboldhuis, Leiden (NL)

Books

  • 2022, “Photographic Works”, Terra Publishers

  • 2020, “Recollection”, the (M)éditions & IBASHO

Awards & Acquisitions

  • Casper was awarded Talent of the Year in the Dutch national ‚Artist of the Year‘ competition in 2007.

  • In 2019 he won the ALPA Award at Photo Basel.

  • His work is acquired by both private and public collections such as Museum de Lakenhal, Leiden, Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, the Royal Library, The Hague, Haagsch Historisch Museum, The Hague